Flight cleaner for material stacker



Dec. 31, 1968 P. PATZ FLIGHT CLEANER FOR MATERIAL STACKER Sheet Filed July 15, 1967 mvapw'c a: L. P9722 Dec. 31, 1968 P. PATZ 3,419,131

FLIGHT CLEANER FOR MATERIAL STACKER Filed July 13, 1967 Sheet 2 of s IN VENT'O EI PAM/4.. PF? 7'2 Z Z5 Z7 Z4 Dec. 31, 1968 w P. PATZ 3,419,131

FLIGHT CLEANER FOR MATERIAL STACKER Filed July 15, 1967 Sheet a of s mv ehrrca 147E414. p A? 7':

AT'T'OENEY United States Patent 3,419,131 FLIGHT CLEANER FOR MATERIAL STACKER Paul Patz, Pound, Wis. 54161 Filed July 13, 1967, Ser. No. 653,266 2 Claims. (Cl. 198229) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for cleaning the flights or paddles of a material stacker to thereby prevent accumulation or buildup of material on the paddles or flights of a paddle type conveyer used for stacking material in a pile.

Background of the invention Material stackers or conveyers of the endless overunder type which have transversely arranged flights that travel in a trough to push material in the trough, are often used to convey adhesive or sticky material and the material tends to build up on the flights to a point where malfunction occurs. If the flights are not kept clean, the material, such as manure with which the invention finds particular utility, will harden and become extremely difiicult to remove. Many cleaner devices have been proposed and used but have not been entirely satisfactory because of their inability to properly and thoroughly clean the entire flight or because of the numerous working parts required and the constant attention and adjustment required by the operation. Particularly in manure stackers, or the like, the cleaning device must be aggressive in its action, co-act with the flight properly to thoroughly clean it, and should not be subjected to repeated pounding, slapping, or vibrating action on the parts which tend to misalign, bend or wear the parts. For example, spring loaded or other biasing scrapers have been used which cause swinging and abrupt stopping or banging of the scraper against the flight or other parts, tending to literally knock the parts out of shape, adjustment or assembly.

Summary of the invention The present invention provides a particularly eflicient and smoothly operating flight cleaner, for a material stacker, which coacts with all surfaces of the flight, in a firm yet gentle manner, so as to completely clean each flight. The cleaner is automatic in operation and requires no attention on the operators part once it has been properly adjusted. More specific aspects of the invention relate to a means for holding the flights in proper relationship to the cleaner, and to an improved flight per se.

More specifically, the cleaner is arranged to swing by gravity to the at rest position after cleaning a flight where it is then ready to immediately again commence another cleaning operation on a subsequent flight. The action of the freely swinging cleaner is such that it follows the contour of the improved flight for positive and complete cleaning thereof by aggressively scraping the flight which is held at a proper attitude to the cleaner.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a stacker made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the stacker shown in FIGURE 1 but on an enlarged scale and with parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged view of the discharge end of the stacker as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but with certain parts removed and shown in section for the sake of clarity in the drawings, and the flights moved to a different position.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view taken generally along the lines 5-5 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the discharge end shown in FIGURE 3, on a larger scale;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the discharge end shown in FIGURE 6, but viewed from a different position; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing the flights when moved to a different position.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring in greater details to the drawings, the stacker S is shown in the operating position where its lower, material receiving end 1 is pivotally mounted about a post 2 so that its upper, discharge end 3 can swing in an arcuate movement in a generally horizontal plane. An elevated track T is spaced a distance from the pivot post 2 and is arranged in a generally arcuate shape (in plan view) and acts to support the stacker as the latter swings in a horizontal direction. A carriage C has a pair of rollers 4 and 5 that ride on top of the track T and support and guide the stacker in its swinging movement in the horizontal direction. If a more detailed explanation of the carriage is deemed to be either necessary or desirable, reference may be had to my copending application, U.S. Ser. No. 653,984, filed July 17, 1967 and entitled Material Conveyer and Stacker Having a Transverse Adjustment Means.

Material, such as manure, may be delivered by any conventional means to the hopper H at the lower end of the stacker, for example, directly from the barn (not shown) by a barn cleaner BC. The material is then conveyed upwardly by an endless conveyer 6 to the upper discharge end 3 where it falls by gravity onto the pile of material 7 being accumulated.

The endless chain conveyer 6 has a series of transversely arrange flights 8 welded at spaced locations along its length, the endless chain being trained over sprockets 9 and 10 which are rotatably mounted, respectively, at the discharge and at the receiving ends of the stacker.

The stacker includes a support frame 11 which is fabricated from a series of angle irons that are rigidly secured together to form the rigid unitary frame 11 of elongated shape which is of considerable length. As a result, the discharge end of the stacker is elevated a considerable distance above the ground and the entire device may be very large and cumbersome. A trough 12 fabricated from sheetmetal has sides 13 and 14 and a bottom 15 with its upper, discharge end open to permit material that is pushed upwardly through the trough to fall freely therefrom.

More particularly, the upper run of the endless chain conveyor 6 moves along in the trough, and the leading edge portion 8a (FIGURES 4 and 5) of the flight 8 acts to scrape the trough bottom clean as the flights move upwardly along the trough. It will be noted the leading edge portion 8a and the rear portion 8b of the flight are inclined rearwardly and upwardly in respect to the direction of flight travel in the trough. These portions, as Well as the intermediate flight portion 80, can all be thoroughly cleaned as will appear. Furthermore, the leading inclined portion is effective in digging under the material and closely following the trough bottom.

Power for driving the conveyer is derived from an electric motor 16 mounted adjacent the discharge end of the stacker, through speed reduction pulleys 17 and 18, and sprockets 19, 20, 21 and 22. Pulley 17 is fixed to the motor shaft while sprocket 22 is fixed to shaft 23 on which sprocket 9 is also fixed. Shafts 24 and 25 are suitably journalled on the frame in conventional pillow block 3 bearings B. Pulley 18 and sprocket 19 are fixed to shaft 24 while sprockets 20 and 21 are fixed to shaft 25. Belt 26 is trained around pulleys 17 and 18, chain 27 around 19 and 20, and chain 28 around sprockets 21 and 22, thus completing the drive.

A flight cleaning blade 30 is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of the frame and has a leading edge portion 31 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 7) which contacts the flights after they have passed the discharge end and are moving downwardly. The blade 30 is swingably mounted intermediate its height on its shaft 32 and a weight 33 is attached by any suitable means, such as screws 34, to the lower portion of the blade. Shaft 32 is suitably journalled in brackets 36 mounted on the frame. The leading or scraping edge portion 31 of the blade is inclined to the main part of the blade, and this scraping edge is located at the top of the blade and above the blades pivot point, namely shaft 32. This bent portion 31 has a central recess 37 so that the chain can pass through the recess and yet permit the leading edge of the blade to contact the leading, inclined portion 8a of the flight.

As indicated in FIGURE 7, when the flight 8 first contacts the leading edge portion 31 of the blade, the forwardly inclined portion 8a of the flight is scraped clean first. As shown in FIGURE 8, subsequent movement of the flight 8 over the blade 30 causes the intermediate section 80 of the flight to be cleaned. As then shown in FIG- URE 4, the remaining portion 8b of the flight is then scraped clean by the leading edge of the cleaning blade. The blade 30 is free to swing and adapt itself to the contour of the flight, and the inclined leading portion of the blade 30 facilitates this result.

Conveyer positioning means is also provided to insure that the lower or returning run of the endless conveyer is held firmly downwardly so that the flights 8 properly engage the cleaning blade 30. This means takes the form of a baffle plate 40 having an upwardly curved portion 41 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 6) which acts to guide the lower run of the conveyer chain and push it downwardly so that the flights 8 abut against the angle iron return members 46 and 47 (FIGURE 6) of the main frame. The baffle plate 40 is pivotally mounted by its shaft 48 on the frame and spring 49 biases it downwardly against the lower run of the chain of the endless conveyer. The spring is anchored at one end of the frame and at the other end to a bracket 50 which is secured to and extends from the upper side of the baffle plate 40.

In operation, after the flights 8 have discharged the majority of their material over the upper free end of the stacker, they are engaged by the scraper blade 30 which thoroughly scrapes all working surfaces of the flight. The flights are held firmly against the leading edge of the scraper by means of the baffle plate 40 to insure good scraping action.

I claim:

1. A material stacker comprising a support frame having a material receiving end and which frame then extends upwardly at an incline to terminate in a material discharge end, a trough extending along the frame for confining material, an endless conveyer having a series of transversly arranged flights spaced along its length, said conveyer mounted on said frame and having an upper run which moves upwardly in said trough for pushing material therealong by said flights for discharge by gravity at said discharge end, and a scraper blade pivotally mounted intermediate its height and adjacent the upper end of said frame and for scraping contact with each of the flights after the latter have passed said discharge end and are moving downwardly, said scraper blade having a leading edge along its upper side which contacts said flights for cleaning the latter, said blade being biased by gravity to a generally vertical position, and means for urging said flights toward said scraper blade for proper cleaning thereby.

2. A stocker as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said flights have a leading edge portion and a rear portion which are inclined rearwardly and upwardly in respect to the direction of flight travel when in said trough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,664 9/1929 Cornstock 198229 2,101,751 12/1937 Penny 198-229 2,368,114 1/1945 Cartlidge 198229 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. l98-l25, 171 

